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Compass Commercial’s SoCal EVPs Tim Byrne and Dario Svidler sat down to share a bottle of Cab from Tim’s friends at Vista Serrano Vineyards in Paso Robles and reflect on 2018, look ahead to 2019, and contemplate the future of Commercial real estate in Los Angeles.

TB: Cheers, my friend! 2018 was a fantastic year. We brought our clients a number of smart, sound investment opportunities, and I’m looking forward to hearing about their future success. So what’s your take on L.A.’s commercial real estate market right now, and what are the areas of opportunity?

DS: L.A.’s commercial real estate market is really moving right now, and I anticipate this will continue for the foreseeable future. The hottest commercial development areas are Atwater Village, the Frogtown arts district, Highland Park, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Silicon Beach, which recently welcomed Snapchat, and Playa Vista, where Google recently landed. And what about you and your team working in the retail arena?

TB: Well, the ‘retail apocalypse’ is certainly a myth. More stores are opening in Los Angeles than are closing. The retail landscape is certainly evolving though. To compete in today’s marketplace and against the Amazon Effect, retailers are investing in their people, technology and the ambience of their stores. Customers have to enjoy the shopping experience at retail. Even Amazon sees the value of that experience and is opening brick and mortar stores! What’s your 2019 outlook in development and multi-family?

DS: My focus as always is my clients. With the advent of Compass and its remarkable technology and innovation – even social media is coming into play to introduce commercial real estate to a broader consumer audience -- we have a unique opportunity to leverage our company’s residential network more than ever to service our commercial clients. My team works with private and institutional clients and developers who are looking for new ground-up construction opportunities for apartments, mixed-use and hospitality related uses. We look for investors seeking advice on how to increase their property value in this quickly evolving market. With the influx of Silicon Valley tech companies and the ever-expanding entertainment industry seeking new commercial space, we can advise on how to monetize these new opportunities. We also specialize in 1031 transactions, helping investors looking to complete the up-leg of their transaction for stabilized, tax-deferred investment properties. How do you see Compass Commercial evolving in 2019?

TB: We’ll continue to focus on investment sales and leasing, with an emphasis in commercial land development and apartment and commercial sales. We’ll continue to focus more on the big picture than a single transaction and will continue to provide a property or portfolio analysis that focuses on increasing cashflow and value appreciation. Then we can advise on ways to enhance the value of the assets and provide other investment opportunities.

DS: Word. Compass’ vast resources will allow us to further serve our clients, and the larger L.A. community, by leveraging the company’s vast residential network to bring our clients largest investments – their homes and their commercial assets – under one roof supported by the strong pillars of teamwork, trust and integrity. Bring on 2019!

Nicole Kirwan is an entrepreneur who has a bold vision: take that breezy, "vacation state of mind" and build a business around it. At Elevated LA, we are proud to have played a role in helping her do just that. We applied our hybrid, more-than-a-realtor model to take Nicole's dream from a 'great idea', to a thriving small business.

The Journey

We worked with Nicole to help her move into the location for her boutique; one that represented the brand she wanted to build. The space had a lot of potential- high ceilings and a large floor plan, but it needed some remodeling to make it into the perfect place for Nicole to start her dream business.

We worked together to take the store from concept to reality, by helping to coordinate the transformation of the space from ordinary to chic. Our team is keenly aware of how important a location is, and in this instance, Brentwood Village couldn't be more perfect for Permanent Vacation. We are so excited that Nicole chose this unique space, and has finally made her dream a reality.

The Destination

Today, Permanent Vacation is a thriving addition to the Brentwood Village shopping experience. Nicole is living her dream, and helping Angelenos stay in a "vacation state of mind", Thanks to her keen eye for fashion, Nicole has created a jaw-dropping store interior, that perfectly compliments the beautiful clothes hanging on the racks. Touting the the ever-fitting ethos:

There is nothing like that vacation state of mind and we want to bring that carefree, intoxicating and fun aesthetic to our customers' everyday life.

Since its opening, the Brentwood demographic have been flocking to Permanent Vacation for its fashion-forward clothing and accessories, which fit so well with the Californian beach lifestyle. Check it out now at 11632 Barrington Court, Los Angeles 90049 | 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

Elevated LA’s unique approach to real estate operates with an eye to maximizing returns through a combination of deep local market knowledge and financial expertise.

It Was This Approach That Allowed Us To Help The Owners Of 1024 Pico Envision A Bold New Future For Their Building.

The building was growing older, making it a challenge to lease out the units as residential spaces. But, considering the location of the building in the up-and-coming Silicon Beach area of west Los Angeles, we saw a huge opportunity.

Given the changing market in the local area, there was a growing demand for creative, boutique office spaces. With a little vision, it was easy to see how 1024 Pico could go from an undesirable apartment building to a hip new office building perfectly tailored to the current needs of the market.

We updated the building both inside and out. On the outside, we gave it a modern, funky exterior that fit with the cutting-edge Silicon Beach vibe and brought some major curb appeal to the neighborhood. Inside, we modernized it with new fixtures and features that completely updated its look and functionality.

No longer a relic of a different time, 1024 Pico is now ready to capitalize on the future of West Los Angeles real estate – a big win for its owners, and for the community.

Kambiz Hemati enjoyed an illustrious career in Retail Concept Design for brands like Nike and Verizon. Most recently, he lead store design for a little coffee chain you may have heard of (we’ll give you a clue - it’s Starbucks) where he took them through a complete reimagining of the look and feel of their store concepts. It was during this experience that Kambiz had a unique vision for a coffee shop of his own.

He believed in a democratic version of the coffee shop; one where everyone is treated equally and can find the experience that fits them. If you wanted to learn more about the coffee and the way it was made, you could. If you simply wanted to enjoy a cup of world-class coffee in a space that felt like a home away from home, he wanted to make that possible as well.

With that vision in mind, Kambiz and Elevated LA worked to bring it to life.

It began with us gaining a deep understanding of Kambiz’ plans for his business. This went beyond a discussion of architecture and aesthetics, to a brand-level exploration of what would make this coffee shop unique.

Kambiz wanted a place that both reflected and elevated its community. He wanted something that sprang from the unique vibe of Santa Monica’s Sunset Park - a neighborhood that’s at once trendy and laid back.

This influenced every decision going forward, from the construction of an outdoor area so his patrons could enjoy the southern California sun, to a policy that welcomes dogs into the space, making it feel even more like a home away from home.

Above all, Kambiz wanted a space, and a product, that communicated the feeling of Love. It was his belief that coffee made with love had the power to brighten someone’s day, and to have an impact on the community as those waves of positivity spread out, one cup at a time.

Today, Love Coffee is a thriving business- one that’s become a favorite to many Sunset Park residents. It’s stories like this that Elevated LA loves to be a part of: stories where we’re able to help elevate an entrepreneur’s dream, their business, and their community.

Of late, we’ve been focusing this energy into the West Los Angeles residential market, going beyond just buying and selling property, to helping people realize their financial goals and elevate their entire lifestyle in the process.

If this sounds like something you’ve been looking for, we’d love to hear from you!

Elevated LA’s real estate expertise and services include representation of residential and commercial sellers and buyers, commercial leasing, and property management. Our services go beyond just helping a person acquire or sell an asset; we offer a full spectrum of ongoing advisory services on all property types—from helping our clients identify their real estate goals to working with them to develop and implement a long-term investment strategy.

A carefully planned space can change the entire feel of a home

At Elevated LA, we're all about elevating the enjoyment of your property! We have compiled a list of our favorite design trends at the moment, and why we think they're so influential right now:

1. Roof Top Deck

Why relegate your outdoor experience to the yard? A rooftop deck is a great way to entertain, creating an oasis of tranquility and relaxation. And, of course, a great view. Being blessed with endless sunny days in Southern California, a rooftop deck can be used virtually year round - so admire the view, sip an afternoon cocktail, and enjoy your roof top space!

2. Bringing the Inside-Out

With beautiful weather all year round, extending the 'inside out' is a luxury experience that can elevate the enjoyment of your home. Seamlessly integrating the inside of your home with outdoor areas makes it more than just a living space, and transforms it into a quiet retreat from the outside world.

Space is often at a premium in Los Angeles, and clever additions like a garage that converts to an outdoor dining area, large doors opening out to a breakfast area from the kitchen, or an outdoor fire pit with some lazy couches scattered around it, will maximize your space, and help you to savor the day well into the evening.

3. Tall Ceilings and Windows

Light is so important, and creating spaces where it can be maximized is a must - providing a big dose of vitamin D, it will be an immediate mood booster!

4. Drought Resistant Landscaping

It is no secret that we experience very little rain in Southern California, which means that responsible use of water is a huge consideration in any landscaping endeavor.

Landscapers and architects alike are abandoning the water dependent 'green grass and flowers' approach, and embracing LA's natural environment. An appealing use of drought resistant grasses, low water shrubs and flowers, succulents, and rock work are 'in' right now, and the demand is high.

A stylishly drought resistant yard now embraces succulent blooms and feathered grasses. Turf grass has also gained popularity, with some that look so good, you would think it was real!

Airbnb is a website for people to list, find, and rent lodging for short term trips and vacations. Airbnb runs on a marketplace platform model where they connect hosts and travelers and enable transactions without actually owning any rooms. They currently have over 1,500,000 listings in 34,000 cities and 190 countries. Airbnb has grown to a value of over 25 billion dollars since their start in 2008. To give some perspective, Marriott International Inc is valued at 21 billion dollars.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU AS A PROPERTY OWNER?

Millions of people from all over the world have started using the service to rent out their properties to vacationers. Anyone can log on and rent your property by the night or by the week instead of a hotel in the area. Currently there are more than 6,000 Airbnb listings in the Los Angeles area alone. As a real estate owner, you might want to consider using your property as an Airbnb rental versus a traditional full time tenant. The profits from short term rental can be over four times more than you are making on that same rental today. We took the time to analyze how a tra­ditional rental unit could profit using Airbnb.

Airbnb can increase your rental profits with any type of unit leading to a substantial monthly income over your properties. The influx of Airbnb in Santa Monica and Venice, CA have driven apartment buildings with two to four units up in price about 25% currently. This is spilling over into the Culver City and Mar Vista areas as well. Two to three years ago, before the prices jumped, investors were seeing returns upwards of 10% by converting these types of units to Airbnb. If you are considering investing in some additional real estate and using those properties as short term rentals, buy now before the prices increase in your area.

With a potential of over 8% cash on cash return, there is serious profit potential today with Airbnb. If you own a two to four unit apartment building already, consider converting to Airbnb or sell to an investor who is interested in making the conversion. 

GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS

The influx of Airbnb rentals in the Los Angeles area has recently caused quite a stir with local laws and regulations. In May of 2015, Santa Monica actually approved a tough set of rental laws specifically targeting short term rental agreements. There have been some increases in sales tax on short term rentals as well as door to door inspectors in Santa Monica. Be sure to check on your local laws and regulations before investing or listing your current properties on Airbnb.

HOW DO NEIGHBORHOODS BENEFIT?

There are also various benefits to the transition from traditional rental to Airbnb. The investors often clean up the buildings and give back to the neighborhoods. The use of a rental unit as an Airbnb property can also benefit the local tourism industry by offering affordable alterna­tives. Airbnb averages $195 per night in Venice while a Santa Monica hotel is almost $400 per night. The market is also gaining more over­night rooms through these Airbnb transitions.